I Never Expected
by Mondo the Second
Summary: The new farmer on the island finds love when he least expects it... Just updated with a new chapter. It's been a couple of years, but I will finish it.
1. New Beginnings

I Never Expected

I do not own the characters of Harvest Moon.

My alarm clock buzzed loudly next to my ear. I slammed my fist on the snooze button and lay there for a few moments. Sitting up in my bed, I blinked wearily, wiping the sleep out of my eyes. I was sure to turn off my alarm clock so it wouldn't buzz again while I was outside. I climbed out of bed and grabbed my clothes out of the dresser. Yesterday, I had arrived at Waffle Island. I was to maintain an old plot of land my grandfather used to own. He'd been getting on in years and asked me to run it for him. More like start from the ground up. It hadn't been occupied in quite some time. Not only that, I didn't have any farming experience. All I had to go on was stories my father and grandfather told me about the place as I was growing up.

The mayor showed me around the town when I got off the boat. His name was Hamilton. A kindly old man, he showed me the important shops and businesses in the town and introduced me to the townsfolk. One of the places I visited was the neighboring farm. The man who ran it, Craig, was kind of a jerk. But he saw that I had potential with gardening implements. He provided me with the tools I would need to start my own garden. And his wife gave me a few packets of different kinds of seeds. I thanked them and went back to my farm.

I walked out of my house and greeted with the bright sunlight in my eyes, causing me to squint momentarily. I involuntarily yawned and headed over to my little garden patch. I pulled out my iPod from my pocket and decided I was in a Muse mood this morning. Tuning it to "Uprising," I started grooving and began my morning routine. I made little holes in the ground for the seeds I was given and dropped a few in each hole. I grabbed my watering can from the shed and filled it at the nearby faucet. I watered each little bundle of seeds and covered them up with dirt. I was surprised at how quickly this went by. I was also surprised at how little I had to do right now. I didn't have any animals, they were too expensive. I didn't have any mining equipment. I didn't even own a fishing rod, which was a real shame. I was an avid fisherman back home, and I heard the fishing here was amazing.

I decided the only way to earn some extra scratch was to get a part-time job. At least until I got on my feet and the crops fully grew. I pondered for a moment where to go for the day. I decided to try at the bait shop. I love fishing, plus it was closest to my house.

I made my way down to the beach and saw the shop a little ways down the shore line. I saw a few seashells on my way and picked them up. Maybe I can sell these I thought to myself as I put them away in my pocket. I reached the bait shop and saw a young man outside the place at the dock. He had whie hair, and a big sun hat dangling at his back. He sat at the edge with a fishing rod in his hand, waiting for a bite.

"Hey!" I called.

He jumped a little and turned to see where the voice had come from. "Hello," he replied, giving me a smile. I went over and sat next to him. "You're the new farmer, aren't you?" he asked. I nodded. "How did you know?" He chuckled. "It's a pretty small island," he replied. He held out his hand. "The name's Toby." I took his hand and shook it. "Vince," I replied. He went back to his pole.

"What brings you to the island Vince?" he asked. "Well, I got the old farm from my grandfather. He wanted to see it like it was in its heyday, and he felt I was the right person to do it." Toby nodded as he waited for a bite. "Have you ever done any farming before?" he asked. I shook my head. "Not a damn day in my life," I replied. Toby laughed and he felt a tug on his line.

"Oh! I got a bite!" He tried to reel it in. "Hey Vince, can you give me a hand?" I grabbed the rod while he reeled in his catch. "Oh man, check it out!" cried Toby. We reeled in a massive swordfish. "You know, you've got a real knack for fishing," he said to me. "Thank you Toby," I replied.

"Do you enjoy fishing?" he asked me. "I love it," I answered. Toby thought about something for a moment. "You know what? I work at the shop. I could buy you your own fishing pole pretty cheap." I shook my head. "No, no, that's not- you don't need to." Toby put his hand up. "Call it a gift. You helped me out, you're new, and it's always nice to meet another fellow fisherman."

We went inside and he picked out a good rod for me. He also convinced his boss to let me work in the shop for the day for some extra cash. He agreed and showed me the ins and outs of greeting the customers, stocking the shelves, and operating the cash register. At the end of the day, we closed up shop and I said good-bye to Toby.

I walked into town and noticed that the bar was open at the local inn. Why not, I thought to myself. I worked hard today, I deserve a little drink. I walked inside and was greeted by Kathy, the bartender. "Hello, stranger," she greeted as I walked inside. "Evening," I replied back.

I took a seat at the bar and she came up with her little notepad to take my order. "Haven't seen you here before. Are you new?" she asked. I nodded. "I'm the new farmer. I run the little plot of land up by the river. Name's Vince." She smiled and took out a pen. "Well, what can I get for you Vince?"

I thought about what kind of drink to get. It had been a while since I had a drink. I just never went to bars all that much back home. "Do you think you could whip up an apple cocktail?" I asked. She smiled. "I think I can manage that," she responded. She walked back behind the bar and made my drink in a flash.

She came back over to the table and placed the drink down in front of me. "Thank you," I said as she walked back up to the bar. I picked up the glass and said to myself, "To new beginnings." I drank the cocktail. I was amazed. It was tastier than any drink I could remember having. And just a little bit stronger too.

When I was finished I walked up to the bar to pay for my drink. Kathy was washing some glasses and she turned around. "That may have been one of the best drinks I've ever had," I said handing her the money for the drink. She blushed. "Well thank you, Vince. I'm glad those bartending classes didn't go to waste then." She counted out the money and gave the change back to me. "Keep it," I said. "It was a great drink, you deserve a great tip." She smiled and put the rest of it in the pocket of her apron. "Have a good night," she said as I left. "You too," I replied.

I made my way back home and surveyed my surroundings. I think I'm going to like it here, I thought to my self before going inside. I locked up and got undressed. I grabbed a pair of pajama pants from my dresser and crawled into bed. As I drifted off to sleep, I never thought my life would change forever the next day.


	2. The Festival Has Arrived

I Never Expected

Chapter 2

I don't own the rights to this game

I awoke bright and early the next morning not to the sound of my buzzing alarm clock, but to a knock on my door. I grumbled as I crawled out of bed, wondering who the hell in their right mind would knock on someone's door at the crack of dawn. Well, maybe if they were asking people if they'd accepted religion into their lives. I opened the door and was greeted by the warm, smiling face of Hamilton, the mayor.

"Hamilton," I yawned, wiping sleep from my eyes. "What are you doing here so early?" Hamilton looked slightly taken aback. "Did I wake you up Vince?" he asked. I nodded, yawning again. "Don't worry, I had to get up anyway. What can I do for you?" I asked.

"Well," he began. "I thought you would be interested to know that today is the Waffle Island Flower Festival in the town square." He looked really proud of this announcement. I honestly had never heard of this flower festival. "What is it?" I asked, groggily. Hamilton beamed. "It's a celebration of the natural beauty of the island. Vendors from all over sometimes show off rare and exotic flowers from other places too. It's been an island tradition for almost fifty years."

To be honest, I wasn't that impressed with the prospect of a festival dedicated to flowers. But on the other hand, Hamilton looked so pleased with it I really didn't have it in me to say no. "Okay Hamilton," I said. "I'll go. When is it?" He clapped his hands together. "Splendid! The festival will begin in the town square in front of City Hall at noon and it will continue until five." He walked down the path away from my house and called back, "See you there!" He walked over a small hill and was out of sight.

I heaved a deep sigh. Now I have to go to this dumb festival. I really didn't want to go. But I didn't want to disappoint the mayor. Not after he and the townsfolk accepted me as one of their own. I decided to begin my morning routine of gardening before doing anything else. I grabbed my watering can from inside and watered my garden. Once I was finished, I checked my watch. It wasn't noon yet. Might as well break in my new fishing pole while I wait for the festival.

Near my home there was a little stream that flowed to the ocean. I decided to try there. I found a soft spot of earth and sat down. I held the pole in my hands for a few moments before casting. It was light, but not too light. It felt like it had strength to it. I cast off and waited. And waited. And waited. This is taking forever, I thought. Just as I was about to give up hope, I snagged something. My heart began to beat a little faster. I began to reel in my catch. It didn't feel like anything large. Probably a trout or something. Then it submerged. I reeled in my catch. A nice, big... cruddy old boot. Not to worry, I thought. I'll try again. Tin can. Again. Swim trunks. One more time. Algae. "Dammit!" I cried and threw my pole to the ground.

My angered cries attracted the attention of a young woman walking towards the town. "Need some help?" she asked. I turned suddenly and saw where the voice came from. It was a brunette woman with her hair done in a cute little bob. She was wearing a yellow and orange colored sun dress and brown boots. I turned red. "How much of that did you see?" I asked somewhat sheepishly. She giggled. "Kind of all of it." I covered my face with my hands. "I'm sorry," I said in a muffled voice. She smiled. "Don't be. I had a pretty hard time getting the hang of fishing before my boyfriend showed me the ropes." I thought about what she had just said. "Your boyfriend wouldn't happen to be Toby, would it?" I asked. Her eyebrows raised. "How did you know?" she asked. "I met him last night. He bought me this pole as a gift." Now it was her turn to turn red. "Well that sure was nice of him. I'm Renee, by the way."

"Vince. In any case," I continued. "I do know how to fish. I'm just getting nothing but junk." I looked at my watch. It was almost noon. "Oh, crap. The festival!" I cried. Renee looked excited. "You're going to the festival too? I'm meeting Toby there. We could go together if you'd like." I raised an eyebrow. "Don't worry," she added, hastily. "Toby is not the jealous type." I nodded. "Sure, why not. I just need to drop my fishing pole off at the house real quick." We walked up to the house and I ran inside and back out quickly. Renee noticed my barn and chicken coop next to the house.

"What kind of animals do you raise?" she asked as we walked towards town. "Uhhh," I muttered. "I don't really own any animals." Renee looked shocked. "Why not? Don't you like animals?" she looked a little hurt. I had no idea why. "I love animals," I answered. "They're just a little pricey, is all." This relieved her. "You know," she began. "My family owns the Brownie Ranch up by the farm. If you want a good price for a good animal, you should go there." I smiled. "That didn't sound like an advertisement at all," I replied with a hint of sarcasm. She laughed. "Thanks," I said. "When I have a little extra scratch, I'll be sure to stop by your ranch."

We approached the Waffle Island town square and it immediately hit me how big a deal this festival really was. Everyone from the town had shown up. Most of them I hadn't even met yet. I saw a few people here and there who I had recognized and they waved to me. Everyone had great big smiles on their faces, eager for the festivities to begin. I saw Toby approaching us. "Hey Vince!" he called as he came over. "I see you've met Renee." He gave her a kiss on the cheek causing her to blush and giggle. I couldn't help but smile.

"Ladies and Gentleman of Waffle Island!" called a voice. Hamilton was standing outside City Hall amid several stands decorated with banners and balloons and bright, colorful flowers. "Welcome to the Waffle Island Flower Festival. I sincerely hope you all have a great day today. Come on in!" Everyone gathered and a wave of "oohs" and "aahs" seemed to have taken place of any other sound. All of it looked pretty, sure. But I still couldn't see what the big fuss was all about. Toby and Renee walked off to one of the booths. I couldn't tell which one. To be honest, I kinda felt lost without them around. I hate meeting new people and I always feel shy and awkward.

I was going to leave. I came and saw what it was and it didn't impress me all that much. As I walked past a booth of flowers I had never even seen before I heard an unfamiliar voice. "Hey, stranger. Buy me a lily?"


	3. Shot Through the Heart

I Never Expected

Chapter 3

I do not own this property

I looked around for the source of the voice. I saw her and my jaw dropped. Now I want it to be known that I have never been sold solely on looks before, but my God. I noticed her deep, red hair. Her exotic eyes. Her caramel toned skin. Her lilac colored outfit looked like something out of a harem with the poofy pants and sheer sleeves. They way it clung to her perfectly sculpted dancer's body. Oh I didn't even mention the dancing. It was almost hypnotic. I must have been staring because she snapped her fingers and I came to.

"Did you hear me?" she asked. I blinked and shook my head a bit. "What?" I asked rather stupidly. She rolled her eyes. "I said, will you buy me a lily? I have to stay here by the booth to sell these flowers native to my island. The booth across the square sells them and they're my favorite flower."

I had to ask. "Why me?" She shrugged. "You seem lost and confused. This would give you something to do." She winked. That wink alone set my heart racing. "I'll be right back." I ran over to the booth on the other side. The booth was run by the farmer's daughter, Anissa. "Good afternoon, Vince," she said with a smile. "How are you today?" I couldn't answer right away due to a dry mouth.

"I honestly don't know," I replied once I regained my ability to speak. "I think I've just been hit on." Anissa let out a girlish giggle. "By who?" she asked. I answered by way of pointing over to the exotic young woman with the island flowers. "Ooh, who is she?" she asked. I shook my head. "I don't know, but I'm hoping I'll find out. Could I purchase a lily please?" Anissa pulled one out of its display. "Certainly." She handed it to me and I gave her the money in exchange. "Good luck," she said as I headed back to the booth with the island flowers.

I reached the young woman and presented her with the lily. She took it with a smile and inhaled its sweet, flowery aroma. "Mmm, it smells divine," she purred. "These don't grow on Toucan Island and I do love them. Thank you very much, cutie." I could feel my cheeks flush. I think she noticed because she started to giggle. "Am I embarrassing you or something?" she asked. I gulped. "Not at all," I replied, voice cracking slightly.

She smiled and introduced herself. "My name is Selena. What's yours?" I couldn't remember. "Um..." I muttered. "Vince, it's Vince. My name's Vince." She chuckled. "Is your name Vince? I couldn't tell." What an idiot, I thought to myself. "She smiled and said, "I need to get back to work. I'll see you around, okay?" I nodded and mumbled something, but for the life of me I cannot remember what is was. I started to walk away.

Ask her out said a voice in my head. No way was the response. She's way out of my league. You'll never know until you find out said the voice. I stopped. I took a deep breath and turned back around. Selena had resumed her dancing and the butterflies in my stomach had returned. I tried to say something, but no words came out. "Do you want to go out sometime?" I asked, keeping my eyes shut tight, anticipating the answer "no."

She smiled, but at the same time she looked sad. "You're very sweet and cute and all, but I'm really just not the dating type. I don't want you to get hurt." Too late. I didn't feel butterflies anymore. To be honest, I didn't feel anything. "Oh," I muttered. "Okay." I gave a weak smile and walked away from the festival to a nearby bench. I sat down and sighed. "Vince, are you feeling alright?" I heard a voice ask.

I looked up. It was Toby and Renee. She was holding a bouquet of flowers that he had bought for her. "You don't look so good. Are you okay?" Toby asked me. "Yeah," I answered. "I'm fine." Renee flashed me a look of knowing that I wasn't fine. "Anyone fancy a drink?" I asked, desperate to change the subject. "Sure," Renee replied. "You can talk about it at the bar if you'd like."

"I don't know what you're talking about," I responded evasively. We made our way to the inn. We found a table near the bar and sat down. Me on one side, Toby and Renee on the other. Kathy came up to our table with her little notepad. "Hey guys," she said as she reached our table with a smile on her face. The smile faded when she noticed my glum demeanor. "Everything okay, Vince?" I wished everyone would stop asking me that. "I'm fine," I replied testily. "I'm sorry. I've just had a bad day. Can I get the strongest drink you sell?" Kathy nodded and asked what Toby and Renee wanted to order. "I'll have a blueberry cocktail," said Toby. "Make it two," piped in Renee. Kathy wrote down our order and walked away.

"Okay, man. What's up?" asked Toby. "You're really bringing the cheery mood down. Did something happen today?" I looked at the two of them. It was nice that they cared so much about someone they just met. But on the other hand, a small part of me was jealous about what the two of them had together. However, I figured they were good enough people that I could trust them. "I met someone today at the festival," I finally replied. Renee's eyebrows raised into her hair. "I thought it was girl trouble." Toby looked at me. "Who was it?"

"Her name is Selena. She's from Toucan Island. She's the most beautiful person I've ever met. Present company excluded," I added hastily so as not to offend Renee. "It's okay," she said. "She is quite gorgeous. Go on." I continued. "She asked me to buy her a lily. They're her favorite flower and they don't grow on the island. I agreed and bought one from Anissa. I gave it to her and she seemed to love it. I asked her out and she said no. She said she didn't want me to get hurt." When I was finished, Kathy had arrived with our drinks. Apparently, I had ordered a buckwheat cocktail. I took a sip and agreed that it was quite strong.

"Listen," Toby said, taking a sip from his drink. "Selena is not the most affectionate person on the island. Plus she's been known to play the field if you know what I mean. I think she was right to stop you before you started." I took another swig from my drink.

"Can I put in my two cents?" asked a nearby voice. I turned and saw Kathy cleaning a nearby table. "Working as a waitress and bartender I pick up a lot of chatter. While it's true that Selena has dated around, it's not for any kind of sleazy reason. She's not a slut. None of her boyfriends in the past have been able to see her for her radiant and outgoing personality. They've only been able to see her for her body. I think this constant feeling of objectification has given her major trust issues." We all looked at her with our mouths agape. "What?" she asked.

"What do you think I should do?" I asked, my words slurring slightly. Damn, this drink works fast. "Well, you don't want to seem like you're stalking her," replied Renee. "But at the same time, you want to know more about her than her other boyfriends," added Toby. "My suggestion," said Kathy, picking up the dirty plates and glasses, "is to ask the townspeople if they know anything about her. I know her favorite drink is the coconut cocktail. Apart from that, I don't know much of anything else." I finished my drink and felt a lot better. "Thank you so much you guys," I said, getting up. I stumbled a bit. Toby grabbed my arm to support me. "Thanks," I muttered. "No problem," he said, steadying me. Come on, Renee. Let's get him home." She nodded and stood up as well. Toby took out some money and left it on the table for Kathy.

We left the bar and headed back to my house. "Thanks for the support, guys," I said. "I'm not usually like this." Toby shook his head. "No worries, man. It's okay." We got to my house and the two of them said good night. Renee gave me a hug and whispered, "I't gonna be okay, Vince." She smiled and waved goodbye as they walked away. I went inside and crashed on the bed. The events of the day wearing me out. Tomorrow I would be gin to do what no other man would: get to know the real Selena.


	4. Getting to Know You

I Never Expected

chapter 4

I do not own the rights to Harvest Moon

"Ugh," I groaned. "I am never drinking again." I was sporting a decent hangover from that cocktail last night. I remember being walked home by Toby and Renee. I think I thanked them. But, I was renewed with a new sense of hope once I learned about Selena's trust issues. I wanted her to know that I do like her for who she is, not for her body. That's just a bonus. I know that she is a decent person underneath.

I was surprised when I left my house the next morning to see that some of my plants had begun to grow. Finally, I thought to myself. I didn't realize farming was a lot of patience. I watered my sprouts and put the can back inside. Now I had to think of a plan of how to get to Selena's heart. I had to let her know I'm not like those other jerks she's been with who treated her like a piece of meat.

I decided to sit and meditate on the subject. I do that every now and then when I need to concentrate on a goal. I closed my eyes and focused my thoughts on Selena. I thought about who in the town would know her. Know what she likes. What she dislikes. I already knew that she loves coconut cocktails. Kathy told me that. Now that I thought about it, she looked a little sad last night when I was talking about Selena around her. But I couldn't concentrate on that now. I had to ask around for what else Selena liked.

I decided to start at the Sundae Inn. I could find out if there were any other foods that she enjoys. I made my way down to the inn to find out. Maya was there this morning. She was the waitress during the day. She loved to cook. I figured that there was no one better to ask about food than her. "Good morning, Vince!" she cried happily. I smiled and waved back. "Hey Maya. Do you have a second?" She nodded and set her tray down on a nearby table. "What's up?" she asked.

"Um," I started. "There's a girl that I like." I was already kicking myself for starting out with a lame comment like that. "OOOHHH!" she squealed. "Who is it?" She looked like she was going to burst out of her skin she was so excited. "Selena," I replied. Maya's smile faltered. "I'd watch out, Vince. She's a bit of a heart breaker." I rolled my eyes. "So I've heard. Listen, you're the food expert around here. Do you know if Selena has any favorite dishes?" I asked.

Maya thought for a moment. "Well, she orders fish dishes like sushi and herb fish. She likes grilled clams and lobster. Hmm... OH! She LOVES spicy dishes like southern omelets or southern fried rice. The only problem is, we don't carry those spices here. You'd have to go to the Pineapple Inn on Toucan Island to get any of those. I think that's it really. As far as I know, those are her favorite dishes."

I smiled appreciatively. "Thanks, Maya. You've been a big help." She smiled and I saw her eyes dart to a spot over my shoulder. "Good morning Selena!" she called. Remember that empty feeling I had the other day? Well, it returned quite rapidly this time around. I had no idea this is where she lived. I thought she was visiting from the island. To my dismay, she came over to us.

"Hey, Maya. Vince," she said while avoiding eye contact. Oh God this was awkward. "What are you guys talking about?" Oh please don't say anything, Maya. "Vince was asking what kind of foods you like," she said with her usual bubbly personality. If there was a blunt instrument around, I would have struck myself with it. Selena gave me a look that somehow conveyed both sadness and appreciation. "I know you're trying to be nice, but..." She trailed off and left the inn, leaving me standing there with Maya. "Well, I'm gonna go hang myself. Who's with me?" Maya looked terrified. "I wasn't being serious," I assured her. "That was just so incredibly awkward. Thank you for the info, though."

I said good-bye to Maya and went back outside, determined to find out more about Selena's interests, and hopefully not run into her again. The rest of my day went better. I found out from the guys up by the mine that she really likes diamonds and rubies. Julian told me that she also likes red and yellow perfumes. I swear, if that man is NOT gay...

I went to the farm next, seeing as it was just down the road. Craig was planting some fresh seeds when he saw me approach. "Hey, Vance!" he called from his garden. "It's Vince," I corrected. "Oh, sorry," he said, not sounding sorry at all. What an ass. "Need something?" he asked. "You know Selena?" I asked. He thought about it. "You mean the whoreish girl in town?" God what a dick. "Do you know if she has any favorite crops or anything?"

"Well I know she likes lilies and roses. Uh, I think she's bought blue mist flowers from time to time. She likes perfect quality tomatoes. That's all I got. Now if you don't mind, I need to get back to work," he said, continuing his digging. "Thanks for your time!" I called as I walked away, and muttered very quietly to myself, "prick." I think the last place to visit was Brownie Ranch which wasn't too far away from here.

As I rounded the corner from the farm, I could see the ranch in the distance. Pretty soon, I could smell it too. It wasn't terrible or anything. It just smelled like animals. I saw Renee and her parents feeding the livestock as I got closer. Renee put her hand over her eyes so as to see who was approaching and when she saw it was me, she put down her feed bucket and came running over. "Hey Vince!" she cried as she gave me a big hug. "Feeling better?" I nodded. "How goes the quest to find the true Selena?" she asked. She picked up her bucket and we walked around the ranch to feed the animals.

I sighed. "Good. Not great, but I'm making progress," I said. She smiled. "Are you guys going to be together now?" I shrugged. "I haven't got that far." I told her about this morning's incident at the inn. "You must have been incredibly embarrassed," she said when I was done with my story. I nodded. "Yeah, pretty much." We reached the chicken coop and Renee saw something that made her eyes light up. She ran inside and cried, "Vince come here! You gotta see this!" I ran inside and I saw something I'd never seen before. Renee was standing in front of the incubator. Inside the incubator was an egg. An egg that was beginning to hatch. After a few minutes of struggling, a newborn chick made it's way out of the egg. "Oohh, it's so cute," Renee said as she picked it up. "Hey Vince, I have an idea. Would you like your first bit of livestock?" I looked shocked. "Well I mean we already have more than enough chickens. You don't have any animals whatsoever. What do you think?" I looked at the hatchling in her hand.. I smiled and said, "Thank you Renee. I'll be sure to take good care of it."

She smiled and handed me the chick. It was so delicate, like holding a glass figurine with feathers. "Do you know if Selena has any interests that involve the ranch?" I asked her. "She likes perfect quality dairy products," she replied after a moments thought. "So... milk, cheese... umm... butter." This was not going to be easy, I thought to myself. I thanked her and left the ranch with a new chick and a few small bags of chicken feed.

I got home and set up new guest in the chicken coop next to my house. I set up a little bundle of hay as a bed and lay some feed down in front of it. All in all, I didn't think the day was a total loss. I found out a a lot about Selena and hopefully, I could put it to good use. I was tired from the days events and wanted to crash. When I left the coop, I saw someone walking away from my house. It was Kathy. "Looking for me?" I asked. She jumped in surprise. "Man, you scared the hell out of me!" She took a few breaths to regain her composure. "I was just on my way to the inn and I wanted to see if you were okay."

"I'm doing alright," I answered. "I could be better, but I'm okay." She walked over to me and I noticed she had makeup on which I hadn't noticed the last couple of nights. "Are you wearing makeup?" I asked. She blushed. "Yeah, I thought I'd try something new. Do you like it?" I shrugged and nodded. "Yeah it looks good on you. It's subtle. Not too overpowering," I replied, not really sure where this was going. "Thank you. You know, if you need to talk about things, you know where to find me." I smiled. "Thank you Kathy." I was just about to turn to go inside, when she gave me a small kiss on the cheek. She blushed and hurried off into town, leaving me standing at my door with a dumbstruck expression on my face. Oh this is not good, I thought to myself.


	5. Meet the Parents

I Never Expected

chapter 5

I do not own the rights to this game

Spring had come and gone. My farm was slowly growing. I had a few chickens now and my very own calf. Of course I stocked money away for a rainy day. Progress with getting Selena's attention was not progressing very much. She still liked me as a friend, but she was still closed off and not willing to give me a chance to make a real relationship out of it. To make matters worse, Kathy noticed this and her attempts to gain my affection were starting to drive me crazy. I did have strong feelings for Selena, but on the other hand, I had another beautiful woman practically throwing herself at me. I had no idea what to do.

One sunny morning, I figured I had to talk to someone. I had a few really good friends in this town and I felt terrible about not telling any of them about my predicament. But there was one person who would hear me out no matter what: Toby. My first true friend in my new life here. I went inside and grabbed the phone. I dialed his number and waited for him to answer. "Hello?" I heard a woman's voice say. "Renee? Is that you?" I asked, a little stunned. "Vince? What's up?" I was still surprised she was on the other end of the line. "What are you doing at Toby's house?" I asked. "Um..." she stammered. "We were- I mean.. I just thought..." She trailed off. "Is Toby there?" I asked, struggling to maintain my composure so as not to laugh at Renee's feeling of awkwardness. "Hold on."

"Vince?" I heard Toby's voice say after a moment. "What's going on?" I once again tried not to laugh. "Did I interrupt something?" Toby began stammering as well. "Never mind," I said. "Could you guys come over here? There's something I need to talk to you about." They said they would come over and I began to feel a bit at ease.

I was feeding the chickens and I heard a knock at the entrance to the coop. "Knock, knock," Toby said. "Hey guys," I replied as Toby and Renee came inside the coop. Renee got all girlish and giggly over the sight of my chickens. Toby shook his head with a smile on his face. "So what did you want to talk to me about?" he asked. "Well, it's really difficult for me to say... First, I need to apologize for not telling you sooner..."

I got cut off by Toby. "Are you coming out to me?" he asked. I rolled my eyes. "No I'm not, I'm just-" "Because it's okay if you are." "I know it's okay. Why would you assume that's what I wanted to tell you?" Toby stopped pressing it and let me continue. "Anyway, I wanted to ask your advice on something. I am not making very much headway on Selena. I've been giving her gifts and trying to make friends with her, but nothing's worked." Toby shrugged. "Okay, so what's the issue?" I continued. "Someone here has feelings for me as strong as the ones I have for Selena. She has been coming on to me for the last couple of weeks and I've been trying to avoid her, but I'm starting to feel that I should stop trying."

"Who is it?" asked Toby. "Kathy," I answered. Toby nodded. "You know, I have noticed her being really nice to you lately, but I thought she was just being friendly." I chuckled. "Do you like her?" asked Renee from one of the nests. "No I don't. But I feel like I'm running out of options if I can't gain Selena's affections," I replied.

"What about her parents?" I looked up. "What did you say, Renee?" She came over to us and sat down net to Toby. "Talk to her parents. You've been talking to everyone the town. You should go to the people who know her and love her the most. I'm sure they'd be able to help you out." I felt kind of stupid. I never thought of that. "Where do they live?" I asked. "They live on Toucan Island. Actually, they're the only people on Toucan Island. They run the inn there. Tourists from all over vacation there. It's supposed to be absolutely gorgeous. We're going to go someday," she said, putting her arm around Toby. He craned his neck and kissed her hand on his shoulder.

"How do I get to the island?" I asked, inadvertently breaking the mood. "You need to take a boat down there," Toby answered. "Well, duh," I retorted. "What do I need to do to get a boat?" I asked again. "Ask Pascal, the sea captain who's always at the bait shop. I'm sure he'll be able to give you a ride to the island," replied Toby. I smiled and said thanks. We walked out of the chicken coop and headed to town.

"I still don't know what to do about Kathy," I said as we approached the bait shop. "You know Owen?" asked Toby. I thought about who Owen was for a moment. "The blacksmith guy?" I asked. He nodded. "He's had a crush on Kathy for ages, but he's never been able to talk to her." I looked puzzled. "Why?" Toby shrugged. "I think he's actually pretty shy," answered Renee. "Big guy like that, shy?" I asked in surprise. "Don't laugh," chided Renee. "He's really sweet and he makes the most beautiful gemstone ornaments." I considered this. "I may have to talk to him," I said after some thought. "But right now, I have other priorities."

I waved goodbye and went into the bait shop. I saw Pascal admiring a small aquarium in the corner. "Ahoy Vince," he called as I approached him. "What can I do for you?" Why was I nervous about this? "Are you going to be heading out to Toucan Island today?" I asked. He laughed heartily. "You're in luck boy! I set sail for the island in five minutes. Of course you can join me!" I was so relieved. After a few minutes, we were on board and ready to go. I immediately felt a little nauseous. I never got used to boat travel. I stayed by the railing of the ship for most of the voyage.

As we crested a wave I was able to see Toucan Island in the distance. Thank God. It was taking all I had not to hurl all over the place. I knew the trip back was not going to be any easier. When the boat stopped and was tethered to the dock, I was one of the first to get off. Once I was able to breathe calmly again I started to admire the beauty of the island. One building made of resources from around the island was all that blemished an otherwise picturesque scenery. Tall palm trees, fronds swaying gently in the warm sea breeze. The tropical smell of the ocean mixed with exotic flowers and fruits. Animals you couldn't find anywhere else. I swear, I think I saw a panda at one point.

I made my way to the Pineapple Inn, hoping to meet Selena's mother and father. As I reached it, I saw a woman by the small lagoon next to the inn. She was struggling with a tangled line. I thought the courteous thing to do was to help her out. I ran over and called, "Need some help, ma'am?" She looked up at the source of the voice and said, "Thank you, young man." As I got closer, I couldn't shake a feeling of familiarity when I saw her face. I sat down next to her and within a few moments, we untangled the knot. "Whew, thanks again, um.." "Vince," I said, introducing myself. "Sue," she said, taking my hand. "My husband Samson and I run the inn." I threw caution to the wind. "Do you know a young woman named Selena?" I asked. A slightly worried look showed on her face.

"Is she alright?" she asked. "She's our only child and we do worry about her." I had met Selena's mother. "She's fine. She's fine," I said to calm her down. "I just wanted to talk to you about her." Sue looked perplexed. "I don't understand. If she's alright, then why are you here wanting to talk about her?" Comprehension dawned on her face. "You have feelings for her don't you?" I felt my cheeks turn bright red. "Well, yes I do. But she turned me down." Sue nodded, as if expecting this. "Selena always had a long line of boyfriends," she began. "Nothing ever became of them because all they wanted was her body. Selena is very strong, vibrant, and smart in addition to having good looks. None of the boys could look past her beauty to see the real Selena. The one my husband and I know and love." Tears were beginning to well up in her eyes.

"When she was eighteen, she decided she wanted to be an exotic dancer. Samson and I didn't want that for our little girl. We wanted her to work at the inn with her mother and father. She was, needless to say, rather upset. She said it was her dream and she was going to pursue it whether we approved or not. She packed a bag and left that very night. That was five years ago. We haven't seen her or spoken to her since that night. Not a day goes by that I wish we could have done things over. I miss my little girl so much." She broke down into tears. I cradled my arm around her and patted her shoulder. "I had no idea," I muttered. "Let's go inside," I suggested, helping Sue to her feet. "Thank you, Vince," she sniffed.

We went inside the inn and were greeted by Sue's husband, Samson. He was a big strong gentleman with a little tuft of red hair on his head. "Sue, are you alright?" he asked, getting out from behind the bar. She nodded. "This kind young man was visiting on behalf of Selena," she said, blowing her nose on a napkin. Samson looked as though someone had punched him. "Did she tell you about that night?" he asked. I nodded. He sighed and said, "We were wrong to shut her out of our lives," he said, sitting down next to his wife. Sue blew her nose again. "Will you do us a favor?" Sue asked. "Sure," I replied. "Will you deliver something to her?" I nodded.

Samson went back behind the counter and put something in a small cardboard container. "Here," he said, handing it to me. "This is southern fried rice, the signature dish of this island. It's also Selena's favorite. Would you please give this to her, along with a message?" he asked. I nodded. "Absolutely," I replied. "Tell her that her mother and father are proud of her, and that we're truly sorry for what happened all those years ago." He wiped away a tear and kissed Sue on the forehead. I couldn't help but feel slightly emotional as well.

I said my goodbyes, and with fried rice in hand, I boarded the boat heading back to Waffle Island. Oddly enough, the trip back wasn't nearly as rocky as the trip there. I supposed it was my new sense of hope with Selena. Before I knew it, we had arrived and I got off the boat. My first and only goal at this point was to make my delivery to Selena. She wasn't at the docks and she wasn't at the bar. I poked my head in the bait shop, but I didn't see her in there either. Feeling dejected, I decided to go home and try in the morning. As I got over the hill to my house, I bumped into someone. A fit, slender, red-haired someone.

"Oh, I'm sorry Vince," said Selena, brushing her hair back. "I thought you were home. I wanted to give you something." I was stunned. "Really? You wanted to give me a gift?" She shrugged. "Nothing major. Just this coral from my home. I thought it would look nice on your dresser. That's where I keep mine." I was rendered momentarily speechless. "Um, thank you. It's really pretty." She smiled and I think she even blushed a little. "I have something for you as well," I said, remembering my mission. "You do? What is it?" she asked. I gave her the plain cardboard box and she took it with a quizzical look on her face. She opened it and her eyes grew wide.

"Oh my God! Southern fried rice! My favorite! But where did you get it?" I took a deep breath and replied simply, "The Pineapple Inn." She looked up slowly at me. "What did you say?" I couldn't tell if she looked angry or sad. "And yes, I met your parents." She looked like she was on the verge of tears. "They really miss you, you know," I continued. "They told me that if they had the choice, they would do it differently. What happened five years ago." This did it She broke down sobbing. I put my arm around her and we walked back to my house. I let her in and sat her down at the table. She blew her nose on a tissue as I made her a cup of tea. She sipped the tea and muttered, "Thanks."

"I was too proud to go back. Too stubborn," she said, calming down. "I wanted to prove that I could live my dream and make it on my own without their help. The truth is I miss them. I miss them every damn day." I took hold of her hand that was resting on the table. Our eyes met. "They want you to visit them. I think it's the right thing to do." Smiled and nodded, wiping away a tear. "I think I will," she said, resolutely. She blew her nose again and got up from the table. "Thank you Vince. I was wondering, if you're not doing anything this weekend, would you like to go to the Firefly Festival with me?" I didn't know what that was, but it didn't matter. She was asking me out. I replied, "Yes, absolutely!" She smiled and gave me a kiss. On the lips. For that moment, I was in heaven. As she walked out of the house, there was one thing I still needed to know. "Selena!" I called. "What made you change your mind about dating me?" She blushed a little and answered, "I knew you were different than the others. Nobody I've dated has ever willingly visited my parents. It really means a lot to me that you did that." She waved goodbye and left, leaving me there, shocked and happier than I've ever felt.


	6. Festival of Light

I Never Expected

Chapter 6

I do not own the rights

A few days later, I got a knock on the door. It was Hamilton. "Good morning Vince," he said in a jolly tone. "Do you know what tonight is?" I shrugged. "Isn't there another festival today?" I asked. Hamilton beamed. "That's right! The Firefly Festival is this evening. This is the one time of year when the fireflies migrate through Waffle Island to lands beyond. It's tradition to take your special someone to see the fireflies as the pass through. It is a most wondrous sight." I already knew all this, but I let him have his moment. "Do you have someone special to see them with?" he asked me. "Well, if you're asking me-" I began. Hamilton let out a jovial laugh. "Very good!" he said, gaining his breath. "Yes, I do have someone to attend it with." Hamilton smiled. "Excellent, Vince. I hope you enjoy yourself." He turned and walked back into town.

As I shut the door, I glanced at my dresser. The fiery brick of coral was sitting there, serving as a reminder of what I had accomplished, of who I had made a connection with. Selena asked if I wanted to go with her to the firefly festival this evening. I couldn't wait. Tonight could not have come fast enough. When I told Toby and Renee they were excited for me. "Way to go, Vince!" Toby cried. You finally did it."

I took care of my morning duties. Watering, feeding, picking. I couldn't help but glance at my watch, even though I knew full well that the festival was several hours away. Once I was done, I decided to do a little mining for a few hours. I could also use it as an excuse to talk to Owen about Kathy. I reached the mines and saw the young blacksmith forging a piece of hot metal into the shape of an ax blade. He looked up, wiping the sweat from his brow. "Hey, Vince," he said, panting slightly. "Need something?" I set my mallet down and sat next to him. "I need to talk to you about something. You know Kathy, right?" I asked. Owen shot me a look. "The bartender? Of course I know her. She's a good friend of mine." I had to press the matter. "Do you like her?" I asked. "Well, yeah. She's my friend." I shot him a look that distinctly said I didn't believe him. He sighed. "Yeah, I do like her. I've liked her for so long, but I don't know how to approach her." I felt a little sorry for him. Owen was a big, strong guy, and yet, he was incredibly shy.

"Why don't you make her something?" I asked. "You must be good with her hands." A dreamy look washed over Owen's face. "I've always wanted to give her a rose." I shrugged. "So pick one and give it to her." Owen shook his head. "No, I mean, I've always wanted to give her a flower that I made. I've wanted to craft a ruby into the shape of a rose in bloom. But I've never had the time to go into the mine for myself. Always when I'm working." He looked dejected. "Tell you what," I said, clapping him on the shoulder. "I'm going to do some mining right now. If I find something red, I'll be sure to give it to you so you can make your craft." He smiled and clapped me on the back. A lot harder than I did. "Sorry," he muttered. "It's okay," I said as I rubbed my sore area.

It took a while for my eyes to adjust to the dim lighting in the mine. Once I could see clearly, I picked up my mallet and began. Let me tell you, however hard you think it may be to break rocks with an oversized hammer, it's about ten times harder than that. I felt tired after breaking on rock. Fortunately, I had some food in my rucksack. It helped, but not a whole lot. I also had some help from the edible mushrooms that grew there. I had a guidebook that told me which ones were safe and which were toxic.

I went through three floors of that damn mine and did not find one single red gem. As I was about to give up hope, I saw in a darkened corner a cluster of red crystals. My forehead was drenched in sweat, but I had to see if there was anything worth taking from this crystal mound. I tried to be very careful, so as not to destroy anything. After about fifteen minutes of toil, my efforts paid off. I extracted a gleaming red orb. Hopefully, Owen would be able to use this for his craft.

I climbed out of the mine and inhaled the fresh air like I never breathed it before. Owen was carrying some logs in a wheelbarrow to the furnaces when he saw me emerge from the cave. I held my hand up in the air, so he could see what I held in the sunlight. When he saw the glimmer of red, a grin grew on his face. "You got one?" he called as he ran over to me. I nodded, still too tired to speak. "I don't know what to say," Owen said happily. I took a deep breath. "You can say you'll have it ready by tonight, because you've got a date," I replied with a wry smile.

"Why me?" asked Toby over the phone. "Come on," I answered. "It'll look weird if I give it to Kathy. She's gotta think it's from a secret admirer." I could hear Toby groan on the other end of the line. "I don't wanna," he whined. "What are you, four?" I asked. "Just write a note saying you want to meet at the waterfall to watch the fireflies. And be sure to mention to look for the man with the rose." There was a pause as I listened for Toby's response. "Okay, but you owe me," his voice said. "Deal," I agreed.

Toby could be trusted with this. Meanwhile, I had to get ready to meet Selena for our own date tonight. I had to take a shower. There was no question of that. Toiling away in the mines tends to make you a wee bit stinky. I took a quick shower and stepped out feeling a lot better and a hell of a lot cleaner. As I was drying myself off, the phone rang. "Hello?" I said into the receiver. "I gave her the note and I was careful not to mention your name." I breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank you Toby. Are you going to the festival with Renee?" I asked. "Of course I am. I've been looking forward to it all week!" was his reply. "Yeah, me too," I said. "See you later, buddy." "You too, Vince." We hung up.

I looked at the clock. I had almost an hour before I had to meet Selena. I put on a clean pair of clothes and headed outside. I passed my cow grazing in the field. I patted her on the head and said, "Wish me luck." A deep moo was my encouragement. I walked up the path next to the river that led to the waterfall. The sun had already gone down and my path was illuminated by moonlight. As I got nearer to the waterfall, I saw a figure silhouetted against it. Kathy. I immediately hid behind a tree so she wouldn't see me. I glanced at her quickly and noticed she looked rather anxious. She was pacing back and forth and looking at her watch. I heard movement not too far away. Kathy must have heard it too because I heard her call out, "Who's there?"

"It's me," a deep, sultry voice called back. "Selena." Kathy sighed. "Selena! You scared the hell out of me just now." Selena sat down on a nearby stump. "Sorry. I didn't mean to." The two of them sat there, waiting for their respective dates. I knew full well that Selena was waiting for me, but I knew it would feel awkward if I showed up before Owen. I glanced at my watch. He was running late. I couldn't afford to wait any longer. As painful as it would be, I had to go out there to meet Selena.

I emerged from behind the tree and walked over to the two young ladies. "Evening," I said, pulling a lily from my jacket pocket. Selena smiled and I noticed somewhat of a hurt look on Kathy's face. I tried to brighten the mood. "What a surprise running into you here, Kathy," I said, mentally kicking myself for saying something so lame. This didn't help. Kathy began to cry. I had no idea what to do. Where the hell was Owen? "Kathy?" a rough voice called. I breathed a sigh of relief. Owen came through a cluster of trees.

He ran over next to Kathy. "What happened?" he asked us. I shrugged. "I don't know. She started crying when I showed up to see the fireflies with Selena." Oh God, this plan was crumbling. I had to do something. "Owen, can I talk to you for a second?" I asked, motioning him away from the girls. He nodded and followed, leaving Selena to try to console Kathy. The two of us went behind some trees to talk. "I gotta come clean with you about something, Owen," I began. Owen looked confused. "Okay," he muttered. "I think Kathy has a massive crush on me," I said eventually. Owen's brow furrowed. "What do you mean?" he asked. I tried to put my thoughts into words. "Since I've been here, I've noticed that she's been expressing feelings for me. She's a really sweet girl, but I already met someone else. And just recently, this other person has expressed her feelings for me." Owen tried to take this in. "So how did Kathy know to meet me here? And why is she crying?"

Oh shoot me please. "She came here to meet the mystery man who gave her a letter telling her to do so. It said that this man would have a rose for her. I guess she was devastated when she saw that it wasn't me." I couldn't read the emotion on Owen's face. It looked like mix of hurt and anger. "I was hoping this would end a lot better than it did and I'm really sorry to put the two of you through this." Owen looked at me for a moment. Then he reared his fist back and I knew what was coming before it happened...

"Come on Vince, get up," someone said in an echoey voice. My vision was blurry and my head was killing me. "Ohhhh, I have never felt pain like this," I groaned. The world came into clearer focus. I could now see that Selena was trying to get my in a sitting position against a large tree. "Are you okay?" she asked. I cradled my head in my hands. "That Owen has one hell of an arm," I muttered. "Why can't I see out of my right eye?" I asked. Selena put her arm around me. "You're going to have a big damn black eye," she said with a slight chuckle. "Am I bleeding?" I asked wearily. She shook her head. "I know about what happened," she said simply. "About what?" I asked, still trying to figure anything out. "I know about Kathy and Owen and about the note." Oh, great. "Why didn't you talk to me about her?" she asked. I found it really odd she wasn't upset with me. "What do you mean?" I asked, propping myself up. "Don't get me wrong. I think it's really sweet what you did with the mystery note and everything. But it probably would have been simpler and a lot less painful on your end if you had just talked to her." I felt like the biggest douche on the planet.

"They saw the fireflies together, by the way," she continued. I stood up suddenly and immediately sat back down, regretting that decision. "The fireflies!" I gasped. "You missed them," Selena said. I looked at her. "What?" She nodded. "I am so sorry," I said. "I swear I will make it up to you." She shook her head. "Don't worry about it. It wasn't your fault. It was really beautiful, all those tiny orbs of light hovering through the trees, floating through the air as if carried by the wind. I still would really like to do this with you next year, though. Just, you know, when you're a little more conscious." We both laughed. She helped me to my feet and we walked slowly back to my house. She lay me down in bed and got a soft ice pack for my eye. She stayed with me all night, taking care of me. As I began to fall asleep, I felt a soft pair of lips brush against my cheek and felt the weight of another body laying next to me in the bed. That moment made it easy to drift off to sleep, knowing what I had. Knowing she was there.


	7. History of Proposal

I Never Expected

chapter 7

I do not own the rights

I woke up the next morning, head still throbbing. I looked at myself in the mirror. A big black bruise greeted me. I looked like half a raccoon. I looked over at the bed and saw Selena still asleep. I couldn't believe that she stayed up all night taking care of me. I gave her a small kiss on the forehead and a faint smile flashed on her face.

I decided to let her rest and closed the door quietly. I had to do my morning chores. As I was coming out of the chicken coop, I saw someone coming up to the farm. It was Owen. I was understandably nervous. "Hey Vince!" he called. I didn't know what to do at this point. "Morning, Owen," I said, uneasily. "Can I talk to you for a sec?" he asked. "Okay," I muttered, the pain in my eye swelling from the mere sight of him. "I want to give you something," he said. "What is it?" I asked. "Because if it's another punch, I don't want it." Owen chuckled.

"I came to apologize," he said, holding out his hand. I was admittedly hesitant. After all, this guy knocked me out cold for over an hour, leaving me a still painful black eye. "I don't expect you to forgive me right away," he continued. "But I hope we can put this behind us. I thought about what you did last night, and while I don't agree with your deception, you had nothing but the best intentions for it." I was still unsure about all of this, but he seemed like he meant it, so I took his hand and shook it firmly. A relieved smile spread across Owen's face. I grabbed my watering can and headed over to my garden. "How did it go with Kathy last night?" I asked as I pulled up a few bunches of strawberries.

The look on Owen's face changed to one of complete and utter contentment. "It was amazing. We watched the fireflies and talked for hours. It was almost two in the morning before we left our spot." I couldn't help but smile, even if it hurt a little. "I'm glad you had a good time." A nervous look showed itself on Owen's face. "How hard did I hit you?" he asked. I chuckled a bit. "Selena said I was out for about an hour and a half." He rubbed the back of his neck. "Sorry," he muttered. I shrugged. "It's okay. It doesn't hurt as much as it did last night. Selena stayed with me all night, taking care of me. She's asleep right now." Owen's eyebrows practically jumped off his forehead. "Did you guys...?" he began. "No, get your mind out of the gutter!" I said, laughing.

Owen was really cool to hang out with. And I'm glad he was sincerely apologetic for the sucker punch. After a few hours work and talking, he said good-bye and headed back to the mining district. I walked inside and saw that Selena was stirring. "Good morning," she yawned. I smiled. "It's just after noon," I said. She looked shocked. "Oh my God, is it really that late?" she cried. I nodded. "You deserved a rest after taking care of me last night." She smiled and blushed slightly. "How are you feeling, anyway?" she asked. "Better," I replied. "The pain is much less than it was last night." I walked over to her and gave her a kiss on the forehead. "What was that for?" she asked, coyly. I shrugged. "What, I'm not allowed to give my sweetie a kiss?" A devilish grin showed itself on her face. "Who says I'm your sweetie?" she retorted. "There must be a reason you didn't go home last night." More blushing.

"Where were you, anyway?" asked Selena, regaining her composure. "Outside," I replied. "I had to feed the animals and water the crops. Owen stopped by as well. He wanted to apologize for the punch to the face last night." Selena got out of the bed and started making it. "Well that was decent of him," she said as she readjusted the pillows. "Are you hungry?" I asked her when she was finished. "Oh God yes!" she cried. "I'm famished." I smiled and headed to the refrigerator. "How about a spicy omelet?" I asked from inside the door. "Yes please!" was the eager reply.

A few days ago, we visited Selena's parents. They were so happy to see her. Sue could not stop crying and I knew Samson wanted to, but he was trying to be manly and keep it in. Selena talked with her parents for hours. Talking about Waffle Island, her dancing, the people there. She seemed to talk a lot about a young farmer who wooed her for quite a while before she agreed to go out with him. We left as the sun began to set. Selena wearing a huge grin and myself carrying plenty of homemade cuisine in the form of omelets and fried rice and other island delicacies.

When we finished our lunch we headed outside. "Hey Vince, can I ask you something?" she said, coyly. "Sure," I replied. "Do you think I could see the animals?" she asked in the same shy voice. I couldn't help but smile. "Of course." We walked out to the field where all my animals were grazing. There were chickens roaming around, a cow sitting in a soft patch of grass,a sheep munching away, and a duck waddling around. We leaned up against the fencepost and watched them for what seemed like hours. My hand seemed to act of it's own accord, searching for Selena's hand until both were clasped together. We looked at each other and Selena said in a soft voice, "You know, I have never been happier with anyone than I have been with you Vince." She smiled and blushed.

I leaned my head over and gave her a soft kiss on the lips. Selena brushed her hand through her hair. "Well, I'm glad you're feeling better Vince. I'd better get going I have a performance to get ready for this evening at the inn. Maybe I'll see you there?" she said, hopefully. "Maybe," I answered with a wry smile. She waved goodbye and headed to the inn to practice. I sat down, back up against the fence and stared up into the sky. Clouds were gently drifting past and I was trying to figure out what kind of shapes they would be.

As I lay there cloud gazing, a bird flew past. A brilliant blue bird. I had never seen a bird like this before. I got up and walked in the direction it was flying, trying to get a better glimpse of it. As I was walking, I felt something hard run into me. It fell to the ground with an "oof!" I turned around and saw Toby sprawled out on the ground. "Hey man," I said, giving him a hand up. "You okay?" Toby nodded as he brushed the dirt off his clothes. "Did you see it?" he asked, out of breath. "See what?" I asked. "The bird! The blue bird!" he cried, exasperatedly. I couldn't understand what Toby was flipping out about. It was just a little old bird. What was the big screaming deal?

"that was the Blue Bird of Waffle Island!" cried Toby. "It only shows itself a few times a year!" I still had no idea what he was talking about. Toby noticed that I looked confused so he enlightened me. "Years ago when the island was colonized, the people were poor and lived off the land. Nobody had any money for jewelry or other nice things. One day a farmer was walking through the forest near the mine, when he saw a bright blue bird flying through the trees. This bird had never been seen before on the island and the farmer was transfixed by its simple beauty. He followed it to Mt. Gelato, where its nest rested near the summit. He found a solitary feather sitting in the nest and decided to collect for himself. As he walked back home, he had an idea. He would present the feather to the girl he intended to marry. She too was enamored by the beauty of this special feather and agreed to wed him. Since then, it's been tradition to present your sweetheart with a blue feather when proposing to them."

"But we're not poor now," I said. "Why can't we use a ring to propose?" Toby rolled his eyes. "You still need a ring for the actual ceremony. Besides, the feather is tradition." I considered his story for a moment. "Well let's go get the feather!" I cried. Toby rolled his eyes. "It's not hat simple. We need to climb Mt. Gelato and I'm pretty sure there's a pretty ill-tempered bear up there." I thought of something. "Can't we butter the bear up?" Toby looked confused. "What do you mean?" he asked. "What do bears like? Fish and honey! So let's get up that mountain with a good supply of fish and honey to feed the bear and we can distract it as we climb to the nest."

Toby thought about what I said. "You know," he began. "That might not be such a bad idea. I can get the fish and you can get the honey." I smiled. "You want to give the feather to Renee, huh?" I asked. He nodded. "Selena?" he asked back. I nodded in return. "I have an idea," I began. "You gather the fish. I'll gather the honey. We'll meet at the base of Mt. Gelato at noon on the first day of autumn and get those feathers together. Toby agreed and we shook on it. We walked back to my house to make a plan and as we walked inside, Toby asked, "By the way, what happened to your eye?"


	8. Dancing the Night Away

I Never Expected

Chapter 8

I do not own the rights to this game

I was so excited, I could hardly think straight. This legendary bird was the reason people got married on this island and I would be damned if I wasn't going to be part of this tradition. Toby went down to his favorite fishing spot by the waterfall and I went out into the garden in front of my house. I hadn't harvested anything yet. I'd been too busy recovering from my beat down the night before, and the fact that Selena was with me made me forget all about it. Hopefully my fertilizer yielded positive results in terms of honey from my flowers.

There they were. Bees were swarming around half of the sunflowers sprouting out of the soil. I grabbed a basket from inside the house to collect the honey. The bees were less than thrilled as I shooed them away. They flew around me, buzzing in an irate fashion. One of them stung me on my cheek. It hurt like hell, but thank goodness I'm not allergic. It took me almost an hour to get all of it. Once I harvested it all, nine jars worth, I went over to meet up with Toby at the waterfall.

He had a basket that was near overflowing with fish of various sizes and breeds. He saw me coming over and waved. I walked over and he looked surprised at the small bump from the sting on the side of my face. "How are you going to get rid of that thing before prom?" he joked, laughing. "Shut up," I muttered. "Those bees are slightly protective."

Once Toby had all the fish he was able to fit in his basket, he collapsed his fishing rod and we walked back to my place to plan our meeting with the bear. "Wow, this is a nice place you have here, Vince," he commented as we approached my house and went inside. Not many people have seen the inside of my house except maybe Selena and Hamilton. "You thirsty?" I asked Toby as he sat down at the dining room table. "Whatever you have, as long as it's not a cocktail," he replied.

I grabbed a glass out of cupboard and poured a glass of milk from the cow I've been raising. He took a sip and sighed. "Oh, that's tasty," he said. "Thanks." I poured myself a glass and sat down next to him. "Okay, what are we going to do?" I asked, after taking a sip. Toby downed the glass and thought for a moment. "We should drop the baskets and just sneak carefully past the bear while it's distracted," Toby answered. I thought about this plan for a few moments. "That won't work," I said, simply. "Why?" he replied. "I thought it was a great plan!" I flashed Toby a look that said "you idiot."

"How are we going to distract the bear on the way back?" I asked him. A look of realization dawned on Toby's face. "Oh yeah, I guess you're right," he mumbled. "How about this," I posed. "We distract the bear with either the honey or the fish on the way up and with the other on the way back?" Toby thought on that and nodded. "Yeah, it could work." We shook on it and agreed to meet tomorrow morning at ten to climb up the mountain.

I finished harvesting the crops and put the ones I planned on keeping in my fridge. The rest, I put in the shipping bin. I looked at my watch and saw I had three hours to kill before Selena's dance tonight. I decided to go to Brownie Ranch to pick up some more feed for the chickens. As I walked through town, people looked happier. Maybe they saw the blue bird as well and wanted to propose to their respective sweeties as well.

I got to the ranch and went inside the little shop. Renee was behind the counter today. Usually it was her mother, but Renee said her mother was feeling under the weather today. "What brings you down here today, Vince?" she asked with a bright smile on her face. I could see why Toby was smitten with her. "Just some feed, Renee. I got me some hungry chickens back home," I replied. She nodded and grabbed some from the stockroom in the back. I heard her grunt trying to pick the heavy bag up so I decided to give her a hand. "Thanks," she breathed, wiping sweat off her brow. "No problem," I said.

I paid for the feed and hefted the bag over my shoulder. Yeah, it was heavy, but at the moment, I didn't care. I knew what I was going to do tonight, and tomorrow morning and I couldn't care less about anything else. Once I got home, I fed the chickens and stashed thee feed in the storage bin in the coop and let all of the animals back inside.

I looked at my watch. Thirty minutes to curtain time. I decided to book it over to the Sundae Inn so I could get a good seat up front. When I got there, I said hello to everyone. Kathy was there, too. I guess she had to work tonight. She smiled and waved at me. I smiled back, phantom pains coming back to me from the sucker punch the night before. She came over with a tray of drinks and placed a pineapple cocktail on the table in front of where I was sitting.

"On the house, Vince," she said in reply to my confused expression. "For last night. I felt awful about what Owen did and I wanted to thank you for setting us up. I had a lot of fun, once everything calmed down, that is." I couldn't be mad at her. It was my own fault for attempting a bit of lame-ass subterfuge. "Don't worry about it," I replied. "I'm glad you guys hit it off. He really cares for you, you know." She blushed and picked up her tray, giggling to herself as she brought out the rest of the drink orders.

Over the next few minutes, more people started showing up. I sipped my cocktail and said hi to Gin and Anissa. She looked absolutely about my eye and asked what happened. I told them about my one-sided altercation with Owen the night before. Gin had a disapproving look on his face. "You should have stopped by the clinic. A blow to the head like that could have caused a serious concussion." I rolled my eyes. "Gin, it's not like I got hit by a bulldozer," I said. Gin just shook his head and replied, "Well, in any case, I'm glad you feel alright. Enjoy the show." He and Anissa went and sat down a few tables away. Kathy was soon at their table taking their order.

The lights dimmed. The crowd applauded. A spotlight shone on the stage. And then the music started. "I Remain" by Alanis Morissette. I remember hearing that song in the Prince of Persia movie. Slowly, the curtains parted and Selena emerged. Words cannot describe how breathtaking she was, but I will do my best. Her outfit was a deep red. Red gloves ran down from her elbows matching a red skirt with gold at the base of it. Her top had a shower of gold tassels draping the material covering her chest. Adorning her neck was a diamond necklace that accentuated the whole ensemble. Draped behind her was what I thought was a golden cape of some sort, but then she picked up the fabric as she swayed. The fabric was split down the middle making it look like she had magnificent golden wings.

I was transfixed by Selena's beauty. Her hair was shimmering in the light and a see-through veil covered her face. A ruby dangling from her navel piercing sparkled in the light cast on her. I don't know when the dance ended, but I was brought back to reality after the sound of applause made me come to. I quickly joined in the clapping and cheering while Selena took a bow and went offstage.

I got up from the table and went to see Selena backstage. I was so proud of her. I poked my head through the curtain and saw her sitting at desk, crying. I ran over to her and held her. "What's wrong?" I asked as she laid her head on my shoulder. "I did it," she said through her tears. She looked up at me and I wiped a teardrop from her face. "This has been my dream for so long. This is what I left home to do. I finally did it." She beamed and I smiled right back. "Thank you for being her, Vincent," she said. "I wouldn't miss this for the world," I replied. "You were amazing."

Selena flung her arms around me and kissed me. A deep, passionate kiss. A love kiss. I had no choice but to kiss her right back. "Move in with me," I said after the kiss was broken. "W-what?" she stammered. "You heard me," I replied. "I know I love you more than anything and I'm pretty sure you feel the same way about me. At least, I hope that's the case." She giggled and wiped another teardrop from her cheek. "Are you sure your house is big enough for the two of us?" she asked. I chuckled. "It's a lot bigger than your room here at the Inn. Besides, I was going to talk to Dale about some remodeling anyway." She looked like she was about to cry again. "Yes, Vincent. Absolutely." I kissed her again and helped her fix her makeup. She still had one more dance to do and I wanted her to look perfect.

I took my seat and Selena took the stage. As I watched her, all I could think about was my very important task that awaited me tomorrow: getting that blue feather.


End file.
